There are iOS and Android apps that do this.Fixed that for you
Only problem is that most of these app developers aren't adding in material in a timely fashion, or aren't making them efficiently searchable. I'd pay some serious money for a full text searchable PRD from paizo or another company - at least 20 bucks or so. I own several versions of ios and android apps, as well as most of the paizo PDFs, but would love basically an offline version of the d20pfsrd that was up to date and equally searchable.
Probably the best one so far is the PFRPG rd for iPhone / iPad - but still has a few limits to its search index, and hasn't seen an update since February.
I downloaded the entire PRD without any problems at all.
The reason for not providing a download link for the offline version is probably that it would create a crapload of traffic. ;)
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Probably the best one so far is the PFRPG rd for iPhone / iPad - but still has a few limits to its search index, and hasn't seen an update since February.There are iOS and Android apps that do this.Fixed that for you
That one's available on Android, too :-)
As you mention, the search index is sometimes a bit limited. I've also got the Pathfinder Open Reference application (not free, but fairly cheap), which gives me an alternative in some of the tricky cases.
But neither is updated anywhere near as quickly as the PFSRD, and neither is an official source.
I make no claims as to the relative merits of iOS or Android; I use Android devices because they come at the right price (free: they're supplied by my employer). Somebody else in the company has the iPhone & iPad.
Senior Software Developer
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The main reason we don't have an offline PRD is that we haven't been able to find the time to do it right. The process we use to generate the PRD assumes it'll be hosted on our servers.
I suppose we could just point a command-line utility at the webserver and create a .zip archive of all the files and that might be good enough. Search wouldn't work, or it'd have to point at paizo.com.
Going forward I'd love to have an actual official Paizo mobile app that you could install, but our plates are pretty full right now....
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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I've downloaded the PRD and hosted it locally on my laptop. Doesn't work very well on the iPad though. The problem is it isn't updated when there is a change and there is some manual tweaking you have to do each time so I just did it once and it's way out of date now. I'm not sure what it would take to get it working with an iPad/ tablet.
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Download the PRD using HTTrack. Keeps a copy on my laptop and works fine. Only issue is you can't "search" it so you have to have a good idea of where what you are looking for is.
-- david
Papa.DRB
The main reason we don't have an offline PRD is that we haven't been able to find the time to do it right. The process we use to generate the PRD assumes it'll be hosted on our servers.
I suppose we could just point a command-line utility at the webserver and create a .zip archive of all the files and that might be good enough. Search wouldn't work, or it'd have to point at paizo.com.
Going forward I'd love to have an actual official Paizo mobile app that you could install, but our plates are pretty full right now....
I'd seriously recommend it, whenever possible. One of the larger challenges with running and adjudicating a game is managing the rules crunch that comes with spells and monster abilities. Having something as either a smartphone app or epub would pay dividends... and as a regular gamemaster, I'd pay for it, no doubt!
Yeah if updated in a timely manner it would certainly sell!
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At least with the online PRD folks are visiting the Paizo.com website each time and may take some time to check out all the cool products for sale.
An offline version won't generate as much traffic and would basically serve as a free replacement for the PDFs that Paizo sells. Maybe if it was turned into an income generating product, perhaps ...
With the new changes for PFS, GMs are assumed to have access to all hardcover rulebooks. However, the PRD is now a legal resource.
As I understand it, the PRD is available to PFS GMs to help them prepare an adventure before running it at the table. It is not expected that they will have access to it during the game, also it is not expected that they have to bring copies of all the books in hardcover or PDF to the game. The PRD (or Additional Resource PDFs/books) is not a requirement for GMs at the table (provided they have properly prepared the adventure beforehand).
Players may not expect the GM to now have any Additional Resource information pertaining to their PC and players must still bring those sources for the GM to review.
An offline version won't generate as much traffic and would basically serve as a free replacement for the PDFs that Paizo sells.
That misses the point of an open license. People are paying to support the company, and for the product, not for access to the rules. A text website (even one you can download) is not a replacement for the real product which includes art, layout, and non-rules text.
The people who currently don't buy paizo products are not going to 'buy' a flat HTML copy of the PRD. The people who do buy paizo products are not going to stop buying them because they can download the PRD.
As I understand it, the PRD is available to PFS GMs to help them prepare an adventure before running it at the table.
Looking at the new guide, you're right.
I had assumed that since the point of bringing materials is for the DM to have access to that material, and with the core assumption containing that material, that people would not need to bring that material since the DM already has access to them. It seems like PFS is swinging back towards the 'proving ownership' end of things.
With that said, it would still be nice to have a downloadable PRD for reference, even though we still have to lug around paper books.
Thanks, Gary, for taking this into consideration and pointing me towards the correct thread.
Can any one tell me why the Prd dosn't have an offline version yet?
I own the hard copy of the books and and pdfs but the html version of the SRD but it doset have the ultamate magic or combat,
I am not sure if I am reading your statement correctly, but the PRD does have Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat. When you go here you will see them in the second column.
As an aside, please kindly do your best to proofread your posts before hitting "submit." It makes it a lot easier for us to be sure we understand you and can answer you appropriately. Thanks in advance.
As to having an offline option for the PRD, I'd love to have one too. I play at other people's houses and some people don't remember how to find their freaking WEP key, so I don't always have Internet access--but the PRD is WAY WAY WAY easier to do rules lookups in than the unwieldy .pdfs, which are designed for print reading, not screen reading.
I recall many years ago "subscribing" to d20srd.org (NOT d20pfsrd), the fan made 3.x reference site. I think for one small donation you got all the files from the site, and you got sent any updates made in the future.
I read Gary's post and I know they've got a lot on their plates already but this would be an extremely worthwhile feature--one worth paying for.
As to having an offline option for the PRD, I'd love to have one too. I play at other people's houses and some people don't remember how to find their freaking WEP key, so I don't always have Internet access--but the PRD is WAY WAY WAY easier to do rules lookups in than the unwieldy .pdfs, which are designed for print reading, not screen reading.
Again, let me recommend HTTrack. Takes less than 30 minutes to download the entire PRD, and other than search works great. Do NOT download d20pfsrd.com, as it takes a *very* long time since it has so many images.
I recall many years ago "subscribing" to d20srd.org (NOT d20pfsrd), the fan made 3.x reference site. I think for one small donation you got all the files from the site, and you got sent any updates made in the future.
Yea, me too. 3 computers later I still have it on my laptop, even though we don't use 3.5 anymore.
-- david
Papa.DRB
Probably the best one so far is the PFRPG rd for iPhone / iPad - but still has a few limits to its search index, and hasn't seen an update since February.There are iOS and Android apps that do this.Fixed that for youThat one's available on Android, too :-)
As you mention, the search index is sometimes a bit limited. I've also got the Pathfinder Open Reference application (not free, but fairly cheap), which gives me an alternative in some of the tricky cases.
But neither is updated anywhere near as quickly as the PFSRD, and neither is an official source.
I make no claims as to the relative merits of iOS or Android; I use Android devices because they come at the right price (free: they're supplied by my employer). Somebody else in the company has the iPhone & iPad.
Inspired by this thread: A potential new app with improved search logic.